reaction post 

Apply any aspect mentioned in this module’s readings to the outcome of last week’s gubernatorial and/or Congressional races in Georgia. Explain in detail how this election relates, exemplifies, or counters what you’ve read.

Reaction posts should be approximately 2 paragraphs in length use student responses as an example for reaction post.

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student responses should be 4 stances each

#1

I believe that party influence played the largest role in the state of Georgia in this year’s midterm elections. I don’t feel like this is a positive influence though. Georgia has been a predominantly “red” state for quite a while and has even had a Republican governor for the past 15 years. I know that the demographics of Georgia have changed over the recent years, but I believe that the party influence is greater than demographic change.

                With the Republicans winning the presidency and President Donald Trump in office, some Republicans did not like it, but more importantly the Democrats cringed. Typically, we see a party shift in the midterm elections and this is what happened overall in the country, though not as extreme as usual, but Georgia usually stays quite “red”. This year the elections were tight almost everywhere in the state and especially with the gubernatorial race. I believe that this is due to the negative influence of President Trump in the White House. The Democrats are fixated on his demise and removal and leaning Republicans and suburban women do not care for his rhetoric and some of his ideological views. I think overall though, that some people just don’t like Donald Trump as a person. I believe this immense abhorrence toward President Trump and thus the Republican party caused the tight races we saw this year.

                Unfortunately, I don’t believe anyone saw the long-term effects of how they voted this year. I believe that people voted on the distaste for the President and not on the ideology and plans of the actual candidate that they voted for. I believe that this will in turn cause more turmoil in congress and ultimately lead to the reelection of President Trump in 2020. So, I expect the midterms in 2022 to be just as close as they were this year for Georgia and the country.

#2

As some who is older than the average college student (43yrs old), and grew up in the 6th district of Georgia (Alpharetta, Johns Creek area), this election was huge. I never thought a Democrat would every win the 6th district, who I will remind the reader is Newt Gingrich’s old district.  It has for my lifetime been very Republican.  There is a shift going on the in state and the country as a whole.  Republicans are pushing away the more wealthier, executive types, who like more reasoned rhetoric. You also have younger voters and minority voters who see relentless attacks on the Obamas and Hillary Clinton as race and gender based, not to mention Trump’s response to the Charlotte white suprematist rally, and his own record with women.  This spelled a recipe for big losses and it might get worse for Republicans as white baby boomers die off and the racial and younger makeup of this country changes.  

Now that the races are over many of the predictions in the articles came true.  Stacy Abrams did really well and the articles were right about predicting her strong showing with minorities and liberals.  The race was so close and she basically relied on the metro Atlanta area to come that close. Just because the Republican barely won with rural voters, the city and suburbs are growing and that might not always happen. As a 43yr old Georgia native it is huge milestone that a black woman can appeal to so many people in a state in the deep south. It shows the changing demographics of Georgia.  

As a political junkie, I am shocked by how these races turned out.  Attempts by Trump supporters to sugarcoat this means they are not learning what needs to be done to win.  Growing up in the Atlanta suburbs I know they are strong fiscal conservatives, but they want their leaders to have some decorum in their rhetoric.  Trump needs to tamp down his Twitter feed and act more presidential if he wants to win back the suburbs.  The cities vote Democrat, the rural areas vote Republican, so winning rests with the suburbs.  The articles were right about the views of the different regions of Georgia.  The Republicans are lucky they kept the 7th district, but their luck my run out there too as the demographics are changing.